Thursday, December 17, 2015

From the Corner of Alder and Bridge

A mid December day on the corner of Alder and Bridge, tucked in cozy for the holidays. I have not been here for Christmas in years. Typical of my small home town and the sanctuary of my mother's house it has been peaceful. There was a time when I was younger, still in highschool when I couldn't wait to get out and away but now I look forward to these times of respite to enjoy my mother's company.

I savor more than ever the simple pleasures of life here: having coffee and doing crossword puzzles with Mom in the mornings, eating a late breakfast, taking a mid afternoon nap, playing Scrabble or watching TV in the evenings. When Dad was still living he used to walk to town to get the mail and get a few groceries so while I am here I take that same walk.

I am thankful for these days and these times of reflection and relaxation. Today I was musing on forgiveness and stumbled upon something by Eckhart Tolle from The Power of Now:

"Through forgiveness, which essentially means recognizing the insubstantiality of the past and allowing the present moment to be as it is, the miracle of transformation happens not only within but also without. A silent space of intense presence arises both in you and around you. Whoever or whatever enters that field of consciousness will be affected by it, sometimes visibly and immediately, sometimes at deeper levels with visible changes appearing at a later time. You dissolve discord, heal pain, dispel unconsciousness — without doing anything — simply by being and holding that frequency of intense presence."

This is the kind of gift I desire this year; both to give and to receive.